RESEARCH ON THIN FILM TUNNEL CATHODES, RECOMBINATION CATHODES, AND SIMILAR COLD CATHODES.
Abstract
Two cold cathodes, the tunnel cathode and the recombination cathode, are being explored. Films of BN sufficiently thin for possible use as tunneling insulators have been formed by chemical vapor deposition on iridium film, carbon film, single crystal silicon, and pyrolytic graphite substrates. The deposition temperatures ranged from about 1200 to 1600 C. Conditioning of the rf-heated graphite susceptor with pyrolytic graphite deposit lead to a low deposition pressure and good reproducibility of the thickness of the BN film. The deposition rate was of the order of 50A/min. Iridium and carbon films on fused silica used as substrates for BN deposition required restriction of the deposition temperature to about 1200 C and below to prevent granulation of the films. Similar temperature restrictions applied for silicon and pyrographite substrates for the same reason. In addition, the surface of n-type silicon changed to p-type at exposure to 1200-1300 C for several min. Pyrographite with mirror finish was prepared on sapphire substrates by decomposition of methane at about 1600 C and a pressure of about 14 torr. ThO2 evaporated by electron bombardment to a thickness of about 90A on (111) silicon held at 600 C exhibited preferred orientation normal to the substrate surface. Experimental study of the degradation of the V-I curve and the emission of Al-Al2O3-Al structures during operation revealed that a significant recovery may take place during an operating pulse. (Author)
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Sep 14, 1965
- Accession Number
- AD0475833
Entities
People
- S. R. Steele
- W. Feist
Organizations
- RTX